Inner/Outer Thigh Machines

I imagine the reverse. The long someone's been a trainer, the more likely they are to "do it my way" and not keep up with current knowledge and studies on fitness. "I've done leg curls for my clients for 30 years, I'm not giving them up now"...

Unfortunately many active trainers do in fact not keep current with the research for reasons unknown to me. In my experience the more experience a trainer has the greater the tendency to stay current since they have seen the fads come and go. Isolation exercises are find for professional bodybuilders perhaps but the do nothing for the average individual who is interested in fat loss and getting fit and healthy. One of the problems I see with having a lot of different machines in a gym is that they are recommended for use to justify the cost and not because they are the best or most effective way to train.

Just my thoughts on the topic since the negative consequences of using the machine in question has been well addressed.

JESSAELINN glad you found some info that may actually stop you from continuing in pain in future. That's awesome!

There are LOTS of gym machines that you should never use, or never use in certain ways. Leg Press is a little more debatable (if you think hamstrings aren't involved, move your feet higher). But certainly Pec Deck, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, and Lat Pull Down (behind the neck) are all naughty no-no's now, but EVERY gym has them.

Unfortunatley, people are resistant to change. If you ran a gym with no Pec Deck someone would go somewhere else with their subscription money because "they have a Pec Deck - you're not an adequately kitted out gym".

I think it's psychological for me to be drawn to them as well. My first experience with a gym was Linda's Fitness, and I was 17, had no idea really what to do to slim my thighs, and thought those machines should do the trick! Some days, those machines would be all I used after aerobic exercise. Of course, I never really noticed a difference. Silly me, using sentimentality to trick me.

SSUESM
Posts:
8,336
1/19/13 12:24 P

Dragonchilde, you're probably right - I also do lots of overall cardio workouts as well, the recumbent bike, plus walking, and I've DEFINITELY lost weight which has helped me slim down my entire body. Not to mention various plank moves (to strengthen core) and lunges. I don't know why I'm so partial to those two machines, though, Maybe it's psychological,Those machines certainly haven't detracted from my overall firming, toning and well-being though. These days I don't shrink away from my reflection. And that's a positive thing for me.

Unident, thanks for sharing those links, btw! I should probably think about revamping my routine. I'm always learning on this site, no doubt about that.

It's TRUE. These machines are bad for you, which is why many gyms do not have them. I used to be an addict to these machines, pressing 100lbs. Now I know better and stick to natural thigh resistance through floor exercises and squats.

I wonder why the personal trainers are recommending these machines to their clients? I know that all of the personal trainers at my fitness facility have at least a Bachelor's in Exercise Science or similar. All are young, so it seems they would be up to date on all the recent stuff.

In addition to the leg aductor and abductor machine being on the do not do list the leg pres is also.The leg press has three negatives, it is not a natural movement or a functional one,it only works the quadriceps muscle reducing the metabolic effect and it leads to a muscle imbalance since the hamstrings are not involved. The only worst machine to use for mimicking squats is the Smith machine

Thank you so much... I already have back problems, hurting bad right now in fact due to the simple fact that it is morning and I've yet to loosen up my tight back muscles due to accidentally sleeping in an awkward position. WHY in the hell would I want to hurt more?? And the reason it can hurt your back is that, obviously, we are seated, and doing this movement while seated is usually not a movement we do naturally. That makes complete sense to me.

I always had a hard time feeling the burn with the muscles it's suppose to isolate too, so it just goes to show that I have been straining my back. Maybe that's why I've been in my lower back pain this week....

I agree with previous comments - how can using a machine or doing strength training on one particular area reduce fat deposits in that area? Do you have any information that supports the idea that you were able to reduce in one spot by working out only those muscles (rather than burning fat overall)?

Slimming comes from fat loss, and fat burning is a whole body process. Machines cannot spot reduce fat. Glad you've got results you love, but you might be mistaken about the reason for them. I urge you to read the links previously posted about these machines.

SSUESM - they haven't helped you slim down your hips nor your outer thighs. They can't; the human body doesn't work that way. Your muscles draw their energy from the bloodstream, not the surrounding fat stores. If you lost inches, it's because you've lost fat over your entire body, and were genetically predisposed to doing so, not because of those machines. They can't do what people think they do.

For example: I do a LOT of ab work. Just about every class I take, someone throws in some abs, and well, I have abs of steel, so why not?

But I still have a gut. This is because I'm genetically predisposed to holding weight there. All the ab work in the world will not reveal my six pack under there, because there's fat on top of it, and strength training doesn't burn fat in that way.

SSUESM
Posts:
8,336
1/18/13 7:23 P

The hip adductor and abductor machines are two of my favorite pieces of equipment at the Y. I was told they won't do a whole lot for me, but I'm pretty sure that using them on a regular basis has helped take off a couple inches from my hips and to slim down my outer thigh area.

I used to get the same knee crackle, but when I started taking a glucosamine supplement and as long as I workout regularly, it doesn't happen any more. I also had a weird ankle pain annoyance (not enough to call it pain, but a sensitivity) that went away as soon as I fixed the form on my squat. Lifting without the machines is a way to use more muscles in each movement and it has made me stronger and healthier much faster than machines can do. (Well, I never stuck with machines long enough but I've been lifting with a barbell pretty regularly for 6 months.)

That said, do what makes you feel comfortable in the gym. Consider moving off those machines when you are ready to progress. If there are other factors that prevent you from doing the heavy compound exercises, do what you need to...but squats, deads, presses and bench presses are a fantastic tool in my workout arsenal.

These are small stabilising muscles which do not benefit from specific focused training. Rather, using these machines simply increases the possibility of hurting yourself, and offers no functional advantage at all that cannot be obtained from squats/legpress.

Thank you, I finally realized that they are listed as "seated hip adductor", visa-versa. I like them because I squat down to children all day long. I also do the seated leg press, which is a lot like a squat, but without hurting my knees and making them crackle, like squats do to me. So, I think I'll stick with the machines.

While there are different exercise modalities that would offer more functional fitness development, many fitness experts say using these machines are perfectly fine until you get comfortable in the gym environment. So don't feel these are a waste of time. You are doing just fine and as you become more educated in being in the gym environment than you can move onto other exercises.

And then don't bother getting on them again. ;) These machines are not very effective, and a waste of time. You're training small muscles in a very unnatural way that will not provide any real strength benefits. If you're attempting to use them to reduce the size of your thighs, that won't work.

You're far better skipping them altogether and just doing squats and lunges. Far more effective (although nothing will reduce the fat in a specific part of your body.)

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